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Why Hats Should Be Mandatory for Your Kids in Cold Temperatures

Your child should never leave the house without a hat in bitterly cold weather. Children, especially younger children, can lose a third of their body heat through their heads when they’re outside, so make sure they are properly dressed.

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Your child should never leave the house without a hat in this kind of weather. Children, especially younger children, can lose a third of their body heat through their heads when they’re outside, so make sure they are properly dressed.

The interesting thing about hypothermia is that you can develop it at any temperature, so it doesn’t have to be 10 below zero. It just has to be below your body temperature.

So say you live in Atlanta and like to wear shorts. If you go out in 40-degree weather wearing shorts, you can still develop hypothermia — and get really sick.

Is it frostbite?

If your child’s skin gets cold and red and your child says the skin is stinging or feels prickly, it’s time to go inside. Those are some of the first signs of frostbite.

Frostbite is the freezing of fluid in the cells. There are various degrees of frostbite.

Frostnip refers to a mild form of frostbite in which only the surface cells of the skin freeze, usually on the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers and toes. The affected skin may at first turn become flushed or reddened. Burning and tingling sensations also are common.